Imperial German Guard Foot Artillery Oberst Feldgrau Shoulder Board Cannons

An original Oberst’s field-grey field-officer shoulder board (Schulterstück) of the Garde-Fußartillerie-Regiment (Guard Foot Artillery Regiment). The reverse carries a collection label reading “Fig. 7.1 – G. Fus. A. R.” Crossed gilt cannon barrels together with a pair of gilt rank stars identify the branch and fix the grade at Oberst (colonel).

The board is built of round interwoven (plaited) metallic braid in field-grey — the construction reserved for field officers (Stabsoffiziere) — mounted on a golden-yellow underlay. The centre carries a gilt crossed-cannon device with flaming-bomb tips, the emblem of the artillery, with one gilt six-pointed rank star (Stern) set above and a second below, the two together denoting the rank. A vertical button slit is worked at the head, and a black wool backing strap is retained on the reverse.

The Garde-Fußartillerie formed the Guard’s foot, or heavy, artillery, manning the heavier guns and siege ordnance and distinct from the horse-drawn field artillery. The crossed cannon barrels mark the artillery branch, while the round interwoven braid identifies a field officer; a Major wore the braid without stars, an Oberstleutnant with one, and an Oberst with two. The field-grey construction reflects the wartime adoption of subdued insignia.

The crossed-cannon device denotes the artillery, and the two gilt stars flanking it are the rank distinction of an Oberst commanding.

Condition is good. The interwoven braid is intact with strong definition, and the gilt crossed-cannon device and both rank stars are present and secure. The golden-yellow underlay is sound, the backing strap is retained, and the collection label is intact on the reverse. Some service wear is present as expected. No restoration is evident in the provided images.

A senior field officer’s board of a Guard artillery regiment, complete with the distinctive crossed-cannon device, the field-officer braid, and the colonel’s two stars, combines Guard, artillery, and senior-rank appeal in a single piece, and the field-grey construction adds the interest of wartime service insignia.